Motor-vehicle body



Dec. 30, 1930. E. F. ROBERTS MOTOR VEHICLE BODY Filed Aug. 11, 1926 I I] lp/y; gnuenfo'o Ebb/6E0 F Rose-27's v I 6mm n 1 92 i/ MM/ NWM WWW/X I 1 a 3 9 U y? 1 z a Patentecl Dec. 30, 1932 UNITED sra'ras PATENT OFFICE EDWARD r. Bazaars, or nuraorr, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR"10 racmn MOTOR CAR- oournmr, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A conroaurrou or MICHIGAN MOTQR-VEHICLE BODY Application filed August 11, 1926. Serial No. 128,550.

This invention relates to motor vehicles,

. more particularly to thebodies of such vehioles, and it has. for one of its objects to provide a device by which the entry of wind, water and dirt to the interior of the body through the space between the vehicle door and the floor thereof, shall be prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide an eflicient Weatherstrip or sealing strip for the bottom of vehicle doors, which shall be sturdy and reliable and of good appearance.'

A further object of the invention is to provide means to securel attach such a sealing device to the vehicle ody, so that all nails, screwsand tacks shall be concealed, and so that the device with its attaching means shall have an ornamental valueas a moulding or trim member on the body.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side viewof a portion of a motor vehicle body showing the application of the invention thereto, and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are cross-sections illustrating some forms of the invention, taken in a vertical plane through the bottomof the closed vehicle door and at right angles there- Referring to the drawing, at is illustrated a portion of the body of a motor vei extends downwardly so that hicle, having a door 11 mounted on suitable hinges (not shown), and adapted to be swung to a closed position adjacent a door pillar 12 in the well known manner. The vehicle is provided with the usual fenders 13 and runhing-board 14, and its body is provided with a floor 15 supported on suitable floor sills 16. In the type of body illustrated, the door 11 its lower edge is below the level of the floor 15, and when the door is closed it occupies a position in spaced relation with the outer edge of the floor and with the sideof the outside body sill 16. The present invention provides. means by which wind is preventedfrom blowing through the space thus formed between the sill and the door, and by which the entry-of road dust and water to the body therethrough is also prevented.

The preferred construction for the accompilshment of the objects of the invention is best shown in Fig. 2, in which the-body sill 16 is rabbeted as shown at 17 for the reception of a sealing member or Weatherstrip 18. This sealing member 18 may be formed of a strip of soft rubber or other suitable resilient material and it has an upwardly disposed portion 19, adapted to seat in the rabbet 17, and a downwardly and outwardly disposed portion 21, the edge of which is bent over to form a U-shaped section, as shown at 22.

The upper face of the sill 16 is also slightly recessed as shown at 23 and in this recess is suitably secured, as by means of wood screws 24, the flange portion 25' of a trim member or moulding 26, preferably formed of resilient and non-corrosive metal such as brass, and which has a downwardly disposed portion 27. This portion 27 is slightly convex outwardly fromthe sill 16, and its lower edge 28 is adapted to engage the'sealing member 18 substantially at the junction between the portions 18 and 21 thereof. By reason of the resilience of the member 26, this edge 28 presses inwardly against the portion 19 of the Weatherstrip '18, thus clamping it securely against the face of the sill 16. The floor 15 of the vehicle is covered by a suitable rug or carpet29, which extends laterally to cover the flange-or attachment portion of the member 26, so that the headsof the screws 24 are concealed beneath the edge of the carpet.

The lower portion of the door 11 is also lined with carpet or other suitable material 31 of a similar nature, the upper portion of the door, above the lining 31, being covered with any suitable fabric 35 in the well known manner. Upon closing the door it will be evident that the lining 31 carried thereby, strikes upon the outwardly disposed portion 21 of the strip 17, thus compressing and slightly deforming it, so that it has a close bearing upon the inner face of the door 11.

It will be apparent that in this construction the portion 21 of the strip 28 is pressed ti htly into engagement with the inner face 0? the door 11 when the latter is closed, thus forming an en'ective seal against the entry of air water, and dirt or dust.

In l ig. 3 is illustrated another form in which the invention ma be embodied, and

in which the trim mem er 27 is providedwith a groove or longitudinal pocket 33 adapted to receive and support one edge of a resilient sealing strip or member 18. In

this construction the trim member 27, which may conveniently be a stamping of light sheet brass, is secured to the sill 16 by two rows of screws 24, one-of which secures the upper edge in the rabbet 23 and the other securing the lower edge to the sill. The resilient strip 18 projects in a downwardly inclined direction from its groove 33 toward the door 11, and upon closing the door the trim carpet 31 bears against the lower edge of the member 18*, thus bending and depressing it so as to make a tight-seal with the inside of the door.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a slightly different form of the invention. In this device the sealing member comprises a tube 36, which is preferably of rubber or other suitable material, and which may be covered with a hard, wear resisting fabric if desired. This weatherstrip is provided with an upwardly extend ing flange portion 19*, which is adapted to it in a groove or rabbet 17" in the lower outside edge of the body sill. It is clamped in position in this recess by means of atrim plate 26, which plate is secured to the side face of the sill 16 in any convenient manner, as by means of screws 24. In this dewhich serves as a trim for the vice u 'on closing the door 11' the tube 36, will be de ormed or compressed into an elliptical "shape by the side of the sill and the corresoas to tightly sponding face of the door, seal the space therebetween.

It will be seen that this invention provides a highly eflicient device forclosing vehicle bodies at the bottompf the doors thereof, which device is simple andinex ensive, and ish of the vehicle body at this point.

It will beunderstood that various forms of the invention other than those described above may be used without departing from the spirit or-scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: Y

1. In a vehicle body having a sill and I a door, a sealing strip having an attaching portion and a sealing portion, and agroove between said portions, a resilient -metal moulding secured to the sill above the strip and having a depending edge adapted to engsige in the groove to clamp the strip to said s1 2. In a vehicle body, a floor sill, a door adapted to close into spaced relation with said sill, a trim member secured to the to of said sill and having a downwardly PIOJBOting portion, and a resilient member secured to the sill by the downwardly projecting ortion of said trim member and adapted to engage said door when closed. a

v 3. In a vehicle body, a floor having a sill said bod adalpted toclose into spaced relation wit sai floor, a Weatherstrip carried and adapted to supporta carpet, a door for by the sill and adapted to be enga ed by the door when closed, a resilient meta member secured to said silland adapted to clamp the Weatherstrip to said sill, and means attaching the metal member to said sill an concealed by said car t.

4. In a vehicle bo y having a floor sill, a floor, a coveri'n for the floor and a door,

a weather strip a aptable for engagement by a Weatherstrip adaptable for engagement by the door, a resilient member attached to the sill by one edge and adapted to secure the weather strip in position by its other edgeand means on the resilient member provi ing an abutment for. the floor covering.

7. In a vehicle body having a floor sill, a floor, a covering for the floor and a door, a weather strip adaptable for engagement by the door, a resilient member securing the weather. strip to the sill and providing an abutment for the floor covering and means concealed beneath the floor covering for securingthe resilient member to the sill.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 1

EDWARD F. ROBERTS. 

